Polarization of Light Scattered by Isotropic Opalescent Media

Abstract

A general study is given of the polarization of light scattered by isotropic media whose elements of heterogeneity are not very small in comparison with the wavelength, (suspensions, colloidal solutions, solutions of large molecules, ...). This includes an extension of a theory by R. S. Krishnan, who, considering certain particular states of polarization of the incident light and applying the law of reciprocity, had proved the equality of two of the four coefficients which are to be considered in these cases. Using Stokes' linear representation of the polarization of light beams, it is shown that the scattering through a given angle and for a given wave‐length is characterized by the 16 coefficients of the linear forms which express the four polarization parameters of the scattered beam in terms of the four corresponding parameters of the incident beam and that the law of reciprocity leads to six relations between these sixteen coefficients. For an isotropic asymmetrical medium (having rotatory power), the scattering is thus characterized by ten independent coefficients. In the case of a symmetrical medium, four of these coefficients must be zero, leaving only six scattering coefficients, and if the scattering particles are spherical, there are two additional relations between these coefficients. The comparison with dipolar scattering by very small elements shows that the best test to prove multipolar scattering is the existence of some ellipticity in the scattered light when the incident beam is linearly polarized in a direction oblique to the scattering plane.